This invention relates to a method and a device for locking down containers/cargo and more particular the locking down of containers for safer transporting.
1. Background
There is a large demand for bottled water with an increased concern about the purity and potability of municipally provided water supplies. The commercially provided bottled water is said to be purer and better tasting than what comes out of the tap.
Drinking beverages, such as spring water and others, is typically sold commercially in a plurality of different bottle sizes. An economical way to sell bottled water is to put it in large containers of 5 gallons or more.
The most common type of commercially available bottled water dispensers are of an inverted bottle type construction wherein the bottle is turned upside down into an open receptacle or well which is on top of the cooler dispenser. The most common bottle receptacle of these re-usable polymeric bottles is a standard 5-gallon plastic jug having a narrow mouth and a flat bottom portion. These 5-gallon jugs have two or more annular rims extending outwardly from the bottle side wall to facilitate carrying of the jugs and to provide rolling surfaces when the jugs are rolled on their sides. Such size gallon bottled water containers are commercially available from a number of sources and are typically returned by the user when the water has been consumed there from. The jugs must be transported to and from the filling plant and are typically sterilized before refilling.
These bottled water jugs are normally delivered by delivery trucks. These trucks have a rack that places them horizontally. This horizontal position facilitates movement and storage of the container while on the delivery truck.
At the top of the list of every major analysis of bottle mortality is transit damage in racks. The shock and vibration during over the road transportation cause both hairline and catastrophic damage to full bottles. Many routes have such poor roads (and the resulting elevated damage and claims) that they are financially untenable for bottling companies and service is not offered.
Bottle designers have traditionally been restricted in the features used in water bottles because convenience features reduce bottle life. Designs that do not maintain a continuous round perimeter, i.e. handled bottles, are structurally unable to dissipate the dynamic stresses of the rack and the bottles crack or break near the handle.
During delivery, the driver is most vulnerable when unloading bottles from the upper tiers of the rack. Full bottles weigh upwards of 40 lbs., and reaching to the back cavity of the rack requires pulling a full bottle forward and assuming the weight while in a vulnerable position. At elevated heights, the opportunity to lose balance, lose control of the bottle or even drop it from 10 feet or more increases dramatically.
There is still room for improvement in the art.